Draft-rigging



Nu. 626,88I. Patented Juno I3, I899. E. 0. WASHBURN.

DRAFT RIGGING.

(Application filed Jan. 16, 1899.)

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

{No Model.)

Tu: Noam: PETERS 0o. PHOTO-LITHO WASHINGTON, u. c.

v Patented June 13,1899. E. C. WASHBURN.

DRAFT HIGGINS.

(Application filed Jan. 18, 1899.)

2 Shaets-$hoet 2.

No Model.)

u.. WASHINOTO Bet-ween side walls 3 and a bottom plate 40f the saidcasting 1 a socket or seat for the inner end of the draft-bar orspring-pocket of the coupler is formed, and within this socket thebottom plate a is formed with longitudinal ledges 5, on which thefollowers 6 slide, X

panying drawings, and the illustrations given UNITED STATES PATENTFFICE,

EDVIN-O. YVASI-IBURN, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

DRAFT-RIGGING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 626,881, dated June 13,1899.

Application filed January 16, 1 8 9 9.

1'0 tall whom, it Hut/y concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWIN O. WAsHBURN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State ofMinnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inDraft-Rigging; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

My present invention relates todraft-rigging for cars or other sectionsof a train and is primarily directed to the production of an improveddraft-rigging especially applicable to engine-tenders. v

To such ends my invention consists of the novel devices and combinationsof devices hereinafter described, and defined in the claims.

The invention is illustrated in the accomshow the device designed forapplication to an engine-tenderor to an engine.

In the drawings like characters indicate like parts throughout theseveral views.

Figure 1 is a plan view of the device,the same being shown as removedfrom working position. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section takenon the line :0 x of Fig. 1, some parts being shown in full. Fig. 3 is atransverse vertical section taken approximately on the line x x of Fig.1, some parts being removed. Fig. 4: .is a transverse vertical sectiontaken through the inner section of the bumper; and Fig. 5 is a plan viewof the coupling devices, the bumper or bumpingdevice being removedtherefrom.

The so-called draft-bracket, which in the construction illustrated isintended to be in the form of a malleable casting, is indicated by thenumeral 1. This draft-castingis provided with bolt-holes 2, throughwhich bolts (not shown) may be passed to rigidly secure the same to thedraft-beam of the tender.

Serial No. 702,233. (No model.)

and the side plates 3 are provided with draftlug portions 7 and 8, withwhich said followers cooperate in the draft and bumping actions.

9 indicates a heavy draft-spring which is compressed between thefollowers 6 and'normally presses the same against the cooperatingdraft-lugs 7.

The coupler employed is of the Master Car- Builders type and involves. acoupler-head 10, a pivoted knuckle 11, and locking-dog 12. To adapt thiscoupler for application to an engine-tender, the U-shaped or yoke -1ikespring pocket or strap 13 is secured directly to a stub projection 14 ofthe coupler-head 10, as shown, by means of a pair of heavy rivets 15.'When placed in Working position, as shown in the drawings, the springpocket or strap 13 embraces the followers 6 and the spring 9, with theinnermost follower standing adjacent to the inner and vertical portionsof said spring-pocket and the outermost follower 6 standing adjacent toor bearing against the said stub projection 14 of the couplerhead. Theinner end ofthe pocket 13 is loosely held between a raised portion 16'onthe bottom 4 of the draft-casting 1 and a similar depending portion ofatop plate, to be hereinafter noted, and in such manner that thecoupler-head is free to move up and down with an oscillatory movement.

The bottom plate 4 of the draft casting or bracket 1 is provided at itsforward portion with a depending seat or socket 17, in which a springdevice for normally holding the coupler-head upward is mounted. Asshown, this spring device consists of a coiled spring 18 and a heavywasher orfollower 19, the latter of which bears directly against theintermediate and under portion of the stub draft-bar form ed by thecoupler-head and spring pocket or strap 13. It will be noted that theside sections 8 and bottom plate-section 4- of the draft bracket orcasting are provided, respectively, with longitudinally-extendedstiffening-flanges 20 and 21. A screw-threaded plug 22, which Worksthrough the bottom of the spring-socket 17, serves to vary the tensionof the spring 18 on the draft-bar or draft connection, and it will benoted that the pair of flanges 21 join or run into the said socket 17and thus serve to more rigidly secure the said socket, as Well as tootherwise strengthen the draft casting or bracket 1. In this preferredconstruction the bumper is mounted to work directly over the couplerjust described, and to these ends a supplemental bracket or casting 23is provided. This supplemental castin g 23 in this preferredconstruction involves a plate-like section 24 and a hollow superimposedsection 25, which is cast integral therewith, and it will be noted thatthe sides of the plate-section 24 project beyond the section 25 to formstrengthening ribs or flanges and that the hollow section 25 is providedwith a transversely and outwardly projected flange 26, that terminateson the outer line of the vertical end flange 27 of the draft bracket orcasting 1. Said flange 26 has bolt-holes 28, that register with theboltholes 2 of said flange 27, so that bolts maybe passed through bothof the flanges 26 and 27 and through the draft timber or beam of thetender to secure the said parts together. Long vertically-disposed bolts29 are passed through the sides of the hollow section 25 and the sides30f the draft-bracket 1, said bolts, as shown, being provided with nuts30 at their lower ends,

which serve to draw the parts together. hensecured as above described,the plate portion 24 serves as a cover to hold in'place the followers 6and the spring pocket or strap 13,

and attention is here called to the fact that 'face of the inner end ofthe spring pocket or strap 13 is held by the gravity of the parts of thecoupler. Another pair of nutted bolts 32 is passed through the flange orcover plate 24 and through the side flanges 3 of the draftbracket tostill more rigidly secure the said parts together.

Within the hollow section 25 of the supplemental casting or bracket aseat or socket 33 is formed, which seat or socket is of cylindrical formthroughout its upper portion and of rectangular form throughout itslower portion. A cylindrical boss or projection 34 is formedintegralwith said supplemental casting 23 and projects into the seat or socket33. In this preferred construction the body of the bumper is made up ofthree sections 35, 36,

and 37. The section 35 is hollow and in crosssection corresponds in formto the cross-section of the seat or socket 33, but is of sufficientlyless diameter to permit it to work freely with a telescopical movementwith said seat or socket 33. At its outer end said section 35 isprovided with a pair of cars 38 with stop-shoulders 39. The inner end ofthe section 36 is provided with a single ear or pivotlug 40, that fitsbetween the pair of ears 38. A pivot pin or bolt 41, passed verticallythrough the ears or lugs 38 and 40, serves to pivotally connect thesection 36 to the section 35, and thereby permits the former a limitedoscillatory movement in an approximately horizontal plane. Adjacent tothe cars 38 the bumper-section 36 is provided with segmental flanges 42,which under bumping strains bear against the outer surfaces of the saidcars 38. The extremities of these flanges 42 cooperate with thestop-shoulders 39 to limit the oscillatory movements of thebumper-section 36. The depending end of the pivot pin or bolt 41 worksin an elongated slot or perforation 43 in the plate or coversect-ion 24,and thus limits the longitudinal movements of the bumper-sections 35 and36. A coiled bumper-spring 44 is located in the cylindrical spring-seat45 of the section 35. This bumper-spring 44 reacts against the boss orprojection 34 and the head of the section 35 and normally forces thedepending end of the pivot-pin 41 against the outer ex tremity of theslot 43.

The outer or free end of the pivoted bumper-section 36 is provided witha vertical seat or recess 46, the front wall of which is approximatelyvertical and the rear wall of which isinolined. The section 37 willbehereinafter referred to as the distensible section on account of thefunction which it performs. distensible section is in the form of ashort and heavy plunger mounted to slide through the web formed at thefree end of the bumper-section 36 and provided with a rectangular head47, which works in the recess or seat 46. At its outer end theplunger-section 37 is provided with a removable but rigidly-securedbumping-head 48, which, as shown, is secured by a nutted bolt 49. Itwill of course be understood that when the head 47 is removed fromworking position'the plunger 37 may be placed in working position orremoved therefrom by drawing it back into the seat 46.

Again, in my preferred construction I provide a take-up device in theform of a heavy wedge 50, which normally bears against the head 47 ofthe distensible section and the inclined rear wall of the seat 46 andunder the action of gravityholds the distensible section distended. Thiswedge 50 is provided with a notch or detent 51, which adapts it to beset and held by the head 47in the manner illustrated by dotted lines inFig. 2 and as will more clearly appear in the description of theoperation. The said wedge 50 is further preferably provided with aseries of perforations 52 in its upper end and with a similar series ofperforations 53 in its lower end. By placing a pin or cotter 54 throughone of the perforations 52 the downward movement of the wedge may belimited, and thereby the amount of slack which it will be permitted totake up may be variably limited. By passing a simiby means of thescrew-threaded plug 22.

section 25 is provided with a notch 57, which permits the rearwardmovement of the head of the pivot-pin ll without binding.

To railway men and others familiar with this art it is a known fact thatbreakages are often occasioned by vertical strains put upon the couplersand their draft connect-ions, due to the fact that in running over arough track and rough rail-joints and by other causes the connectedcouplers are frequently caused to move, the one up and the other down,with a quick jerking action. Breakage from the above causes occurs morefrequently between the draft-riggings of a tender and of an engine, forthe reason that these draft riggings are always short and as hithertoconstructed have not been permitted a yielding up-anddown movement. P

It has been one of the principal objects of my invention to obviate theabove defective construction, and this I have accomplished by mountingthe coupler for a limited up-and-.

down movement and applying a spring or yielding device thereto forholding said coupler upward.

\Vhile it would be within the scope of my invention and would be adecided improvement over prior constructions to mount the couplers forlimited up and down movements without the spring or yielding deviceapplied thereto to hold the same upward, the addition of such a springdeviceis nevertheless a very important additional improvement.

lVe will now consider the action of the specifio constructionillustrated. stated, the spring device 17 1S normally holds thecoupler-head upward to its limit, and the tension of this spring devicemay be varied If the coupler of the coupled car or engine is movedsuddenly downward, this spring device will yield to permit acorresponding downward movement of the coupler shown, while, on theother hand, if the coupler of the said coupled car or engine is thrownsuddenly upward its spring device will yield in a similar manner. Inbrief, if a pair of coupledcouplers are provided with these spring-supportin g devices the spring device of the one or the other willalways be free to yield to permit up or down movements of either of thesaid couplers, thus preventing abnormal strains from being thrown uponthe draft connections, and particularly upon the draft brackets orcastings. Under the above movements the coupler and its stub draft-barare oscillated or vibrated on the depending lug or bearing-surface 31,acting as a fulcrum therefor. The bumping and draft actions on thecoupler and its connections are approximately those of an ordinary draftconnection employing a spring-pocket and followers, and, further, thisaction is obvious from an inspection of Fig. 5. As the outer section ofthe bumper is pivoted for movement in an approximately horizontal plane,the outer or bumping face of the head As already 48 is free to engagewith flatwise contact the cooperating bumping-surface of the bumper ofthe connected car, and this is true when the cars are standing on acurve as well as when they are standing on a straight track.

It is, as is well known, ordinary to provide yielding or spring-pressedbumpers for cooperation with the couplers. In order that thesespring-pressed bumpers shall act when a train is connected to putthecouplers under spring tension, and thereby to take up the slack betweenthe cars, or between the tender and the engine, or the tender and a car,it has been hitherto the practice to set the bumpers with respect to thecouplers, so that the springs of the bumper must be compressed to aconsiderable extent in order to permit the coupling actions of thecouplers. As one of the principal features of my invention I provide aconstruction which renders it unnecessaryto compress the springs of thebumpers in order to permit the couplers to couple, thus rendering thecoupling action easy to accomplish, and which at the same time willautomatically take up the slack between the cars and put the couplersunder a frictional tension, so as to prevent rattling. The preferredform of this device has already been described in detail, and its actionmay now be considered.

Before the cars are coupled or bumped together the distensible section37 is forced outward and the take-up wedge 50 is raised, and its notchor detent 51 is engaged with the upper portion of the head 47 of thesaid section 37. The take-up wedge 50 will be held in this position bygravity and the frictional en gagement of the parts. Now the relation ofthe distensible sections of the bumpers to the cooperating couplers andto each other are such that when the distensible sections 37 are forcedinward to their limits the couplers which are to be coupled may becoupled without compressing or materially compressing the sprin gs ofthe said bu m'pers. Hence when the bumpers are brought together theirdistensible sections 37 will be forced inward, and under this action thetake-up wedges 50 will bestraightened up and their notches or detents 51will be disengaged from the cooperating heads 47, so that the saidwedges will be free to fall whenever space is given them between thesaid heads 47 and the inclined rear walls of the seats 46. When thedraft strains are put upon the coupled couplers, their draft-springswill be compressed and they will be drawn outward, thereby relieving thedistensible bumper-sections from strains, and thus permitting thetake-up wedges to slip downward and take up whatever slack has beengiven. Under the above action it follows that after a train has beenstarted and run the springs of the bumpers will be set under tension topush the cars and tender or tender andengine apart against the resistingforces .of the draftsprings and that in this manner the said connectedsections of I seat 33 it cannot turn or rotate therein and at itsflattened lower surface affords a very extended wearing-surface. Asalready indicated, under bumping strains on the bumper the segmentalflanges 42 are forced into engagement with the ears 38, thus relievingthe By a distensible bumper I do not intend to defineorincludeabumperwhich hassimply a longitudinal springing action; but, on the contrary,this expression is intended to define and include a bumper or similardevice whether spring-mounted or not, but provided with a section whichmay be variably distended or projected to change the length of thebumper independent of its spring action, if, in fact, it has such springaction.

\Vhat I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is as follows 1. The combination with a draft-bracket providedwith a seat or socket that incloses the draw-bar, of a draft-bar mountedin said seat or socket, with freedom for a limited upand-down movement,and provided at its free or outer end with a coupler-head, substantiallyas described.-

2. The combination with a draft-bracket provided with a seat or socketthat incloses the draw-bar, of a draft-bar mounted in said seat orsocket, with freedom for a limited upand-down movement and provided atits free end with a coupler-head, and aspring or elastic device appliedbetween said bracket and said draft-bar, and serving to yieldinglyholdsa'id draft-bar upwardly, substantially as described.

3. The combination with a draft-bracket provided with a seat or socketthat incloses the draw-bar, of a draftbar provided at its outer end witha coupler-head, and fulcrumed i at its inner end for a limitedup-and-down movement in the said seat or socket of said bracket,andaspring or elastic device applied between said bracket and saiddraft-bar and serving to yieldingly hold said. draft-bar, substantiallyas described.

4. The combination with the draft bracket or casting 1 formed with thesides 3, draftlugs 7 and 8, ledges 5, bottom 4 and springseat- 17, ofthe spring 18 in said seat 17, and

the draft-bar having the spring-pocket 15 and spring-pressed followers6, said parts operating substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

5. The combination with'the draft bracket or casting, 1, formed withlongitudinally-extended pocket for the draft-bar, and the lowerbearing-surface 16, of the removable top plate 24, having the bearing orfulcrum lug 31, and the draft-bar fulcrumed at its inner end between thesaid bearing-surfaces or lugs 16 and 31, and free for a verticaloscillatory movement, substantially as described.

6. The combination with the draft bracket or casting 1 formed with thesides 3 and bottom 4, draft-lugs 7 and 8, bearing-surface 16 andspring-seat 17, of the removable top plate 24, having the fulcrum orbearing surface 31, the spring 18 in said spring-seat 17, and thedraft-bar, involving the spring-pocket 13 fulcrumed between saidbearing-surfaces 16 and 31 and subject tothe action of said spring 18,and the spring-pressed followers 6 cooperating with said draft-lugs andsaid springpocket, substantially as described.

7. A draft-rigging involving the casting 1, formed with the sides 3,bottom 4 having the vertical spring-pocket 17 depending from the bottom4, and the removable top plate 24, rigidly but removably bolted to saidsides 3, substantially as described.

8. The combination with a draft -bar or draft connection provided with acoupler-head and mounted for alimited up-and-down movement, of aspringdeviceapplied to yieldingly hold said draft-bar upward, and meansfor varying the tension of said spring device, substantially asdescribed.

9. The combination of a draft bracket or casting, formed with primaryand secondary seats or sockets, of a draft-bar provided with acoupler-head, and mounted for a limited up-and-down movement in saidprimary seat or socket, a spring in said secondary seator socket, actingon said draft-bar, and a screwthreaded plug working through the bottomof'said secondaryseat or socket for varying the tension of said spring,substantially as described.

10. The combination with the draftbracket or casting 1 form ed with theintegrally-form ed sides 3 and bottom 4, and the draft-lugs 7 and 8, ofthe removable top plate 24, the springpressed followers 6 cooperatingwith said draft-lugs, and the coupler-head 10 provided with thespring-pocket 13, directly and rigidly secured thereto, and embracingsaid followers, substantially as described. a

11. In a draft-rigging, the draft casting or bracket 1, formed withsides 3, bottom 4, depending spring seat or socket 17 and the dependingstiffening-ribs or flanges 21 running from said socket 17 to the rear ofsaid bracket, substantially as described.

12. In a draft-rigging, the draft bracket or casting 1 involving therear end plate securable to the draft-timber, the side plates 3 formedintegral with said rear plate and with the bottom plate 4, and providedwith the ledges 5 for supporting the followerplates, and sprin g-pressedfollowers mounted towork within said draft-bracket, and supported bysockets located one directly over the other,'

of a coupler,having a draft-bar portion springmounted in one of saidseats, and a bumper provided with a pivoted outer end section and havingits inner section spring-mounted for telescopic movement in the otherseat of said bracket, substantially as described.

15. The combination with the primarydraftbracket, 1, having the sidepieces 3 and bottom 4, of the supplemental bracket 23 and 25 rigidly butdetachably securable together by vertical bolts, the draft-bar mountedin said primary bracket, and the bumper mounted to move in the hollowsection 25 of said supplemen tal bracket,substantially as described.

16. The combination with the primary bracket 1, having the sides 3,draft-lugs 7 and 8 and bottom 4, of the spring-pressed followers 6working between said draft-lugs 7 and S, the draft-bar involving thespringyoke 13, embracing said followers, the supplemental bracket 24,25, bolted to said pri-- marybracket, and serving to hold the saidfollowers 6 and spring-pocket in working positions, and the bumper withits inner end mounted to work in the section 25 of said supplementalbracket, substantially as described.

1'7. The combination with the bracket involving the plate-section 24 andhollow secceive the projection 34 and the bumper-spring 44,substantially as-described.

19. The combination with the bracket 24, 25, formed with the seat 33,boss or projection 34, and slot 43, of the bumper-section 35 fitting andworking in said seat 33 and formed with spring-seat 45 and ears 38, thebumpersection 36 provided with the lug 40, and the pivot-pin 41 passedthrough said ears 38 and lug 40, and working as a stop in said slot 43,substantially as described.

20. The combination with a bracket, having a-seat or socket, of a bumperformed in pivotally-connected sections, a pin connecting said sectionsand engaging said bracket to form a stop, substantially as described.

21. The combination with a bracket, having a seat or socket, of a bumperformed in pivotally-connected sections, a pivot-pin connecting saidsections and engaging said bracket to form astop, and a spring deviceapplied between said bumper and said bracket, substantially asdescribed.

22. A bumper or similar device, having a longitudinally-distensiblesection and a takeup device arranged to be set to permit the contractingmovement of said section, and to be tripped into action to hold the samedistended under the subsequentbumping action.

23. The combination with a bumper, having a distensible outer endsection, ofa takeup wedge operating normally to hold said outer endsection distended or projected, but adapted to be set in advance topermit the inward movement of the same and to be tripped or thrown intoaction by the subsequent bumping action, substantiallyas described.

24. In a bumper or similar device the combination with a distensibleouter end section, of a take-up device arranged to take up the slack andhold said distensible section distended, and means for variably limitingthe take-up action of said take-up device, substantially as described.

25. The combination with a-bumper, having a distensible outer endsection, of a takeup wedge operating normally to hold said distensiblesection distended or projected, and provided in its upper portion withaseries of perforations or seats, and a pin or similar devicecooperating with said perforations or seats to variably limit thedownward movement of said wedge,substantiallyas described.

26. The combination with a bumper, having a distensible outer endsection, of a take up Wedge, operating normally to hold said dis- 5tensible section distended or projected, and provided at its lowerportion with a series of perforations adapted to be engaged by a pin orsimilar device to variably limit the upward movement of said wedge,substantially as described.

27. The combination with a bumper having a distensible outer endsection, of a takeup wedge normally operating to hold said distensiblesection distended or projected, and provided with a notch or detentin'one side adapted to be engaged with said distensible section when thebumper is out of action, and to be tripped back into action by thesubsequent bumping action, substantially as described.

28. The combination with a bumper formed with the seat or recess 46,having the inclined rear wall, of the distensible bumper-section at itsouter end with the removable bumperhead 48, and the take-up wedge 50Working in the said seat 46, and acting on the said distensible section,substantially as described.

30. The combination with a bumper formed with the seat 46 having theinclined rear Wall, of the distensible bumper-section or plunger 37,provided at its inner end with the head 47 and at its outer end with thebumper-head 4S removably secured by a pin or bolt 49', and the take-upWedge 50, working in said seat 46, as described, and provided with thenotch 51, adapting it to be temporarily set to permit the contractingmovement of said distensible bumper-section, and to be thrown or trippedback into action by such contracting movement, substantially asdescribed.

31. Abumperinvolving the pivoted section 36 formed with the seat 46, therecess or perforation 56 and the side flanges 55, the distensiblebumper-section 37 Working through the outer end of said section 36 andprovided with the head 47 working in said recess 46, and the take-upwedge 50 working in said seat 46 and acting upon said head 47,substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

32. The combination with a distensible bumper, of means forautomatically distending said bumper and holding the same distended,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

ED \VIN C. \VASHBURN.

\Vi tnesses:

M. M. MCGRORY, F. D. MERCHANT.

